Self-feeding match holder and igniter.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903. 0. H. SCALES. SELF FEEDING MATCH HOLDER ANDIGNITER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23. 1902.

10 MODEL.

INVENTUR v I I flarinxficd mie' D WITNESSES:

A Tram/5Y3.

NlTED STATES Patented May 12, 1903.

ATENT FFICE.

CHARLES HENRY SCALES, OF TORONTO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO'WILLIAM HAMILTON STEELE, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

SELF-FEEDING MATCH HOLDER AND IGNITER.

SPECIFICATIONfor-ming part of Letters Patent No. 728, dated y 1903-Application filed September 23, 1902. Serial No. 124.519. (No model.)

in view is the provision of a simple and cheap construction adapted forthe safe storage of matches in a manner to expose themfor ready access,so that they can be withdrawn individually for use, thus eifectinga'saving in the.

quantityof matches used, which is an item in places where matches areoffered gratis.

A further object is to associate a striker with the magazine in a way tofacilitate ignition of the match on the withdrawal thereof from themagazine, thus overcoming the necessity for striking matches against awall' and insuring cleanliness. a

A further object is to provide means for receiving the burned matches,so as to save dropping them on the floor, and to also enable the holderto be used in connection with the matches of difierent lengths.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thecourse of the subjoined description and the novelty will be defined bythe annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a match holder and igniter constructedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalelevation taken in the plane of the dotted line2 2 of Fig. 1 looking inthe direction of the arrow and showing the operation of withdrawing andigniting a match by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontalsection on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a vertical detailsection showing another embodiment of the match-supporting shelf and thetray adapted to receive the burned matches.

In the embodiment of the invention shown by the accompanying drawings Iprovide a vertical tubes 9. any desired number, although I have shownback plate of the improved holder is adapted for attachment to a wall orotherisurface by any preferred means, and in the drawings the back plateis shown as having an upwardly.- extending portion 5, which is providedwitha transverse aperture 7, adapted to receive a nail, screw, or othermeans for suspending the holder removably on'the wall.

The ofiset portion 6 of the back plate supports a series ofmatch-magazines, which are represented by the drawings in the form ofThese tubes may consist of the holder equipped with six of these tubes.

'Said magazine-tubes may be secured in any suitable way to the ofisetportion 6 of the back plate, so that they will overhang a subjacentshelf 10, and said tubes are arranged parallel and at suitable distancesfrom each other. The tube is provided at its upper end with a flared orenlarged mouth 11, which enables the easy introduction of the matchesinto the tube, and the tube is of small diameter in order that a seriesof matches, as A, may be stored or confined therein in'such a way thatthematches will be stacked one upon the other, as clearly indicated bythe left-hand tube in Fig. 1. The matches are placed in eachmagazine-tube head end up in order that the foot end of one match mayrest upon the ignition head of the subjacent match, and the lowermostmatch of the series is adapted to extend below the lowest ignition endof each magazine-tube in a manner to rest upon the shelf 10. This shelf10 of the holder is arranged in a horizontal position and ata suitabledistance below the ignition lower end of the series of magazine-tubes,and said shelf may be attached rigidly to or made integral with thelower portion of the back plate 5, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. this shelfmay be made in a separate piece from the back plate, and it is adaptedto be If desired, however, .IOO

supported adj ustably on said back plate by means which permit the shelfto be raised or lowered with relation to the series of magazine-tubes.The adjustable connection of the horizontal shelf is illustrated moreparticularly by Fig. 4, by an inspection of which it will appear thatthe shelf is provided with an upstanding tang 12, which is secured in aloop or keeper 13, the latter being fastened to the rear side of theback plate. The tang of the shelf engages with the keeper sufficientlyfriction-tight to maintain the shelf 10 in the desired position, andthis shelf may be raised or lowered with relation to the magazine-tubesin order to make the holder retain matches of different lengths.

14 designates a tray which has a back piece 15 fastened to the backplate 5, as shown by Fig. 2, or it maybe attached to the adjustableshelf 10. (Shown by Fig. 4.) This tray may be of any suitableconstruction, the same having an inclined lip 16 at its front edge, andsaid tray is disposed below the shelf, so as to occupy a positionconvenient for the reception of the burned or waste matches.

One of the important features of my invention consists in the provisionof an igniting device at the foot or lower end of each magazine-tube 9,and in the preferred embodiment of this part of my invention theigniting device is made integral with the magazine-tube.

' The lower part of the magazine-tube is enlarged and flattened, so asto provide the parallel side walls 17 18, which are bent or curvedinwardly toward each other at 19 on the front side of the magazine-tube,thereby providing an open slot or throat 20, which extendslongitudinally of the enlarged foot portion of said tube that forms theigniting device. The side walls 17 18 are joined together at their lowerends by a web 21, as shown by Fig. 2; but between the upper and lowerend portions of these side walls they are provided with theinwardly-extended flanges 22 23. These flanges are disposed parallel toeach other and form between themselves a slot or opening 24, and on theinner edges of the parallel flanges are formed teeth or serrations 25,said teeth being disposed in rows, as shown by Fig. 2, the rows of teethbeing spaced in parallel relation, as represented by Fig. 3.

The parallel rows of teeth form a double ignition-surface, against whichthe matchhead is adapted to be drawn, and these rows of teeth liepractically on the opposite sides of the match-head, so that the headcan be ignited with certainty when the match is turned to the positionindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the head is drawn undersufficient pressure across the rows of teeth. These rows ofignition-teeth are set or disposed back slightly from the inner face orplane of the magazine-tube, and these teeth do not lie in the path ofthe matches when they are placed in the magazine-tube, thus allowing thematches to drop easily and freely through the tube and permitting thelower end of the match to engage with the shelf 10 without hindrancefrom the ignition device.

The open space or slot 24: between the in wardly-extending flanges whichhave the teeth or serrations allows the ready escape of any of thecombustible mixture which may fly off the match-head when the latter isignited, and this space 24 thus serves as a clearance-space to preventthe clogging of the igniter. The side walls 17 18 of the ignition deviceserve as guides and supports to the match in order to hold the latter inposition at the lowest part of the tube, and these walls are spaced andfashioned to permit the match-head when lighted to be easily withdrawnfrom the igniting device and the magazine-tube.

In using my improved match-holder the matches are introduced in themagazinetubes so as to produce a series of rows of matches, and thelowermost match of each row is contained in the foot portion of the tubeand rests upon the shelf 10, thus exposing a part of each lower match ina manner to facilitate access thereto. When it is desired to withdrawthe match, the lower exposed part of the stem thereof is grasped by thefingers and the match is pulled outwardly, the head of said match beingcontained in the slotted tube or ignition device so that it may be drawnagainst the rows of teeth in order to light the match simultaneouslywith its withdrawal. The removal of one match from the magazine-tubeallows the superposed matches remaining therein to drop by gravity, andthe lowermost match of the dropping series rests upon the shelf 10,thereby automatically feeding the matches in the position for reachingone of them easily.

I do not desire to strictly confine myself to the special and detailconstruction of the holder herein shown and described. Themagazine-tubes and the igniters may, if desired, be made in separatepieces and readilyassemblcd and united together in any approved way; butI also contemplate the manufacture of the article by stamping all theparts in a single piece of metal, which can be folded or manipulated toproduce the complete article, or the article may be cast or molded inone piece or in separate pieces, as desired.

The shelf 10 may be inclined upwardly to prevent matches from fallingoutward. Any suitable fastener may be used to hold the tang 12adjustably on the back plate or the shelf 10. I may use onemagazine-tube instead of a series. The entire device may be used as anadvertising medium, and it can be ornamented as desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A match-holder having a series of verticalmagazine-tubes, each tube being of a diameter slightly in excess ofmatches to be stacked lengthwise and vertically l therein, and each tubehaving a discharge-opening at the lower end thereof and also providedwith a slot which communicates with said opening, and a shelf directlybelow the open ends of said tubes, whereby matches maybe placed endwisein the tubes and the lowermost match in each'tube may rest directly onthe shelf.

2. A match-holder having a back plate, a

series of vertical magazine-tubes on said plate and each having anexit-opening at the lower end thereof and also provided with a slotwhich communicates with said opening, each tube being of a diameterslightly in excess of the matches to be stacked endwise and verticallytherein, and a shelf arranged directly below the open ends of the tubes,said shelf lying below the tubes at a distance less than the length of amatch or matches stacked endwise in said tube or tubes.

3. A match-holder having a vertical magazine-tube provided with anexit-opening at the lower end and with a slot in the exposed side ofsaid tube, the diameter of the tube ex-' ceedin g that of matchesadapted to be stacked endwise and vertically therein, and a matchsupportdisposed below the open lower end of said tube at a distance less thanthe length of matches to be contained therein, whereby thelowermostmatch may rest on the shelf and the upper part of the match may lie inthe slotted part of the tube.

4. A match-holder comprising a plate, a shelf on the plate, and a seriesof vertical magazine-tubes on said plate and having open lower endslying directly over the shelf and at a distance therefrom less than thelength of individual matches adapted to lie stacked endwise andvertically within the tubes, each tube being of a diameter less thanmatches to be stacked therein and each tube havinga longitudinal slot inits exposed side.

5. A match-holder, having a series of individual magazine-tubes, and ashelf disposed below said tubes and adjusted vertically with relationthereto.

6. A match-holder, comprising a suitable back plate, a series ofvertical individual tubes supported thereon, a horizontalshelf belowsaid tubes and in vertical ali nement' therewith, and means foradjusting said shelf vertically with relationto said tubes.

7. A match-igniter provided .withan exitslot in one side thereof, andflanges extending inwardly from that side of the igniter which isopposite to said exit-slot, said flanges being relatively spaced to formbetween themselves a clearance-slot for the ignitible match substance,and saidfianges being provided on their inner edges with roughenedsurfaces which face toward and lie in the transverse plane of saidexit-slot.

8. In amatch-holder, an ignition device consisting of side portionsforminga slot or throat at the front side, and flanges disposed betweensaid side portions and having teeth or serrations. r

9. In a match-holder, an ignition device oonsisting of side portionsprovided with inwardly-extending flanges, said flanges being provided ontheir inner edges with rows of teeth, and the flanges and teeth beinglaterally spaced to form an intermediate clearancespace.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES HENRY SCALES.

Witnesses:

GEORGE REGINALD GRACY, LOTTIE WIMAN.

